The Deputy Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo says Ghanaâs negotiations with the IMF for a bailout programme will be tougher with Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta at the helm of affairs.
According to him, the international capital market has lost confidence in the Minister and the IMF will be compelled to set even higher targets for the country due to these sentiments and previous statements about his dislike for an IMF programme.
While addressing the press in Parliament, Isaac Adongo said a new led negotiator must be selected to lead talks from the Ghana side.
âThe International Capital Market doesnât trust him, but as usual the president is at pains to protect and keep him. I donât have a problem, but I want to tell the president the posturing of the IMFâĤonce they believe that the capital market does not trust Ken, he doesnât have commitment towards IMF programme and only wanted to appropriate the name of IMF and pretend to the community that we are on the program so they bring back the money again, the IMF will front-load the milestones and the corrections that must be doneâ.
âWhen they front-load them and one year later you are not achieving them, no penny is coming to the country,â Adongo warned.
Following Ghanaâs decision to seek an IMF bailout, calls for Ofori-Attaâs resignation have intensified as he on many public platforms insisted that the passage of the controversial E-levy will ensure that the country does not go under an IMF programme.
Former President John Dramani Mahama and other leading members of the NDC have called for the removal of the Finance Minister from office, describing his performance as âabysmal.â